"My confidence is like my dick, disappears when it's time to perform."
The student beside Luthur said it with disturbing calm. For a moment, Luthur simply stared at him, then completely lost it. Laughter burst out of his chest as he doubled over his desk, struggling to breathe.
"Mark, you are genuinely a public menace," Luthur said between wheezing breaths. "You say things like that and then expect the universe to take us seriously."
Mark shrugged, far too proud of himself. "Fear brings out honesty."
Today was the day every student at Hillwood High had been waiting for since childhood. The day they would awaken their Star Companion, the being that would shape the rest of their lives and decide whether they would rise as heroes or vanish into obscurity.
Because in this world, your Star Companion was not just a partner in battle. It was your future, your status, and in some cases, your survival.
And that realization sat heavily in Luthur's stomach.
Still, Mark's stupid joke eased the pressure just enough to keep him from spiraling completely. Unfortunately, his peace lasted only a few seconds.
The classroom door opened as Miss Rachel stepped inside, her calm presence immediately silencing the room. "Alright, everyone, it is time. Please follow me to the summoning hall."
Desks scraped against the floor as the students stood. Nervous chatter filled the air as they followed her through the corridors and into the massive auditorium at the heart of the school.
The summoning area was built like a sacred arena, circular and wide, with glowing constellations etched into the marble walls. At the center stood the contract platform, silent and waiting.
Luthur swallowed hard as old lessons replayed in his mind.
A century ago, a colossal rift had torn open above Antarctica, permanently connecting Earth to the Vast Expanse, a realm so unimaginably large it made the concept of distance meaningless. Its mysteries were older than time, and its existence reshaped the fate of humanity in a single day.
From that rift came the cosmic beasts.
Cities fell within hours. Nations collapsed before sunset. Humanity would have gone extinct if people had not discovered the ability to form Star Links, allowing them to bind with powerful entities known as Star Companions.
Since then, Earth has been fighting endlessly for survival.
Every human underwent the contract ceremony at the age of eighteen.
Which meant today was Luther's turn.
He leaned slightly toward Mark and muttered, "If I get something useless, I am blaming every word you spoke today."
Mark smirked. "If you get something overpowered, I will take full credit and demand snacks for life."
Luthur snorted quietly, then his gaze drifted back to the glowing platform at the center of the auditorium. He had studied this moment for years, yet standing here made every textbook explanation feel painfully insufficient.
Star Link was not a spell in the usual sense. It was a soul-level connection, a bridge formed between a human and a being from the Vast Expanse.
Once established, the contract fused fragments of both existences together, intertwining memories, energy, and fate itself. From that moment onward, the Star Companion would grow alongside its host, evolving through battles, shared experiences, and the strength of their bond.
The stronger the connection, the greater the power they could draw from one another.
There were rules, of course. The ritual could only be performed once in a lifetime. The companion that answered could never be rejected. And if the bond collapsed due to incompatibility or spiritual backlash, both sides usually paid the price with their lives.
That was why Star Links were categorized immediately upon awakening. Low-rank companions granted minor enhancements and limited combat ability. Mid-rank types could turn ordinary soldiers into elite warriors. High-rank companions were rare enough to reshape entire battlefields.
Above those existed legends that most people only ever saw in archived footage and half-forgotten war reports.
No one chose what answered their call.
The summoning circle merely acted as a beacon. What responded depended on resonance, compatibility, and whatever strange logic governed the Vast Expanse itself.
It was not a test of effort.
It was a gamble of existence.
Luthur curled his fingers slowly, feeling his pulse thudding far too loudly in his ears. If his resonance was weak, he would live as a support at best. If it were strong, he would be sent straight to the front lines. And in rare cases, if something went wrong, there might not even be a future to worry about.
He exhaled slowly through his nose and tried to steady himself, but his hands still felt faintly cold.
Miss Rachel stepped onto the ceremonial platform, her voice amplified gently by the runes embedded in the floor. "We will proceed in alphabetical order. When your name is called, step onto the platform and place your hand on the core. Remain calm. The circle will do the rest."
A few students were called before Mark, and each summoning added another layer to the suffocating tension filling the hall. Beams of light flared, shapes formed in the air, cheers erupted for high-rank awakenings, while awkward silence followed the weaker ones.
Then Miss Rachel spoke again. "Mark Hemsworth."
Mark stiffened beside Luthur.
For a brief moment, the confidence on his face faltered. He stood, rolled his shoulders once, and shot Luthur a crooked grin. "If I die, delete my search history."
"Walk faster," Luthur muttered. "I already regret knowing you."
Mark stepped onto the platform, the runes beneath his feet lighting up in a pale blue glow. The moment his palm touched the core, the air rippled and the summoning circle surged with energy.
Light twisted above him, condensing into a sharp, rotating sigil that pulsed like a living heartbeat. A second later, a figure burst from the glow and landed behind him in a flash of metallic light.
A massive silver-furred beast crouched low, its body shaped like a fusion of wolf and armored panther. Star-etched plates covered its limbs, and twin arcs of blue energy curved along its spine like natural blades.
The pressure of its presence rolled across the auditorium.
The crystal screens along the walls flared to life.
"Mid to high-rank combat-type Star Companion detected."
A wave of relieved cheers washed through the students.
Mark turned slowly, eyes wide as he stared at the creature behind him. Then his shock broke into wild laughter. "I actually lived."
The beast huffed, releasing a low rumble as glowing blue eyes locked onto Mark. A thin thread of light formed between their foreheads as the contract finalized.
Miss Rachel nodded calmly. "Successful bond. You may step down."
Mark walked off the platform in a daze, his legs shaky but his smile uncontrollable. As he passed Luthur, he leaned in and whispered, "I am absolutely demanding those snacks."
Luthur forced a grin in return, though his heartbeat only grew louder as he watched Mark rejoin the line, now permanently changed.
Then the room grew quiet again.
Miss Rachel glanced at her tablet briefly before lifting her gaze.
"Luthur Vale."